AEGD Draft Secondary Plan Vision and ... - Hamilton, Ontario€¦ · Hamilton Airport Employment...

Hamilton Airport Employment Growth District - Phase 2 1 Vision and Objectives – April 2009

AEGD Draft Secondary Plan Vision and Objectives April 22, 2009 The attached draft AEGD Vision and Objectives were developed based on results of the January 20, 2009 CLC Visioning Workshop. Vision and objectives identified at the workshop have been placed into categories that lend themselves to evaluation criteria for growth options and EA design alternatives, as well as categories for secondary plan design guidelines. The Vision and Objectives as presented in this document have been reviewed based on comments received to date from the CLC and City staff.

Appendix A


OVERALL VISION FOR THE AEGD The employment area is vibrant and visually appealing and the natural and cultural heritage resources in the area have

been preserved and used to establish a distinct character for the area. It is a working community that attracts a range of

airport related and other businesses providing both conventional and knowledge-based services. The environmental

footprint of the area has been managed through a range of sustainable design techniques and the character of the

surrounding land uses have been protected through appropriate land use transitions and transportation planning.


Sense of Place The employment area is vibrant and visually appealing. It is a working community with a unique sense of place derived from a strong connection to its natural setting and the existing airport. Objectives • Balance a high intensity of use with large conserved natural areas.

• Design with nature by protecting streams, mature trees, wetlands, significant habitat and integrating topography into

developments.

• Integrate the open space system with the Greenbelt and other natural areas.

• Support mixed employment use and associated mixed commercial where appropriate, including convenience

amenities supporting employment such as day cares, commercial, offices, gyms, services, restaurants and hotels.

• Encourage a distinct character for the area (e.g. airport or natural heritage theme).


Public Realm Beautiful public spaces, streets and parks reinforce the employment area’s character as a green, vibrant and prosperous community. The public realm provides structure and amenity to the employment area. Objectives • Integrate nature into the public realm by retaining natural areas for use as buffers, open space, and trail systems.

• Provide a variety of public spaces throughout the employment area differing in size and use.

• Create walkable places that provide employees an opportunity to come together.

• Integrate innovative storm water management infrastructure in green space and natural areas.

• Use natural species in landscaping.


Built Form The employment area has attractive, energy efficient, green buildings. Design guidelines ensure that high quality developments respect and enhance the public realm and natural environment. Objectives • Create innovative, beautiful and sustainable buildings. Explore green building design standards such as LEED and

encourage the inclusion of sustainable building features such as green roofs and solar panels.

• Provide a variety of lot sizes and buildings styles to allow for different types of businesses that can evolve in use

over time, support eco-industrial activity and respond to the needs of prospective market sectors.

• Encourage high density of buildings and employees and reduce the overall environmental footprint per employee.

• Ensure building form and uses are compatible with surrounding areas.

• Create well detailed, human scaled buildings which front the street and help shape the public realm.

• Provide the opportunity for mixed-use buildings where appropriate.

• Design for flexibility to allow business collaboration and the application of eco-industrial principles.

• Create beautiful and well designed grounds and landscaping.

• Maximize efficiency of lot layout to take advantage of natural features.

• Where possible, reclaim and reuse materials from existing airport and other aging structures.


Movement & Connections The employment area is well connected to the city and region by a seamless, multi-modal transportation network providing a high level of service for goods movement, automobiles, active transportation and transit. Movement within and to the industrial park is an easy experience due to the variety of options. Objectives • Ensure transportation infrastructure and connections allow for efficient movement of goods and people to, from

and within the employment lands.

• Design the transportation network to accommodate innovations in goods /people movement e.g., changes in truck

sizes; small electric vehicles; etc.

• Create a sense of continuity when connecting the employment area to its surrounding.

• Create a well connected and permeable street pattern but also protect adjacent residential areas from truck traffic.

• Provide convenient, comfortable and efficient transit connections to the wider city.

• Explore the possibility of creating an employment lands transit hub.

• Provide goods movement connections to the Hamilton Port area.

• Provide efficient movement of goods with minimum conflict with other movements.

• Facilitate pedestrian and cycling movement via an effective network of sidewalks, bike lanes and off-street paths

• Provide convenient arterial road connections between the employment area and 400 series highways.

• Provide convenient connections between Hamilton International Airport and the employment area.

• Ensure parking areas are compact, attractive and sustainably designed- e.g. minimize stormwater and heat island

effects and minimize the area footprint of parking areas.


Tenants Businesses and employees are attracted by the employment area’s character, amenities, accessibility, and prestige. There are strong connections between tenants and many opportunities for co-operation between companies. Objectives • Provide facilities and services that permit employees an opportunity to come together.

• Create an environment which supports a diversity of businesses.

• Provide a variety of employment related amenities and services for businesses and employees.

• Design and build infrastructure that facilitates synergies between businesses.

• Create an overall subdivision pattern to ensure that lot sizing and configurations are appropriate for the target

sectors.


Shape of Employment The employment area is in demand and attracts a range of airport related and other businesses providing conventional (e.g. manufacturing & warehousing) as well as innovative, creative, green and knowledge based services. Quality jobs and successful businesses contribute to the prosperity of the Hamilton region. Objectives • Provide phasing which guarantees an appropriate supply of land for a diverse range of tenants.

• Provide a portion of the AEGD devoted to airport related uses.

• Provide phased infrastructure and services that cater to a range of employers including innovative, knowledge based

companies.

• Meet provincial targets for employment and residential density.

• Encourage that future trends in work habits are accounted for (e.g. job sharing, telework, shared workspaces, etc).

• Balance high intensity land use with green/park setting.

• Develop the employment lands in a manner consistent with municipal and provincial planning policy.

• Permit a variety of lot sizes and building styles to allow for different types of businesses and for evolution of

business needs.

• Create a prosperous and prestigious employment centre which contributes wealth to the entire region.

• Leverage the innovative nature of the Employment lands to attract progressive and clean industries.

• Emphasize airport related employment while maintaining diversity.

• Support academic and trades education related to employment in the AEGD.


Relationships with Surrounding Land Uses There is a seamless transition from surrounding residential and agricultural areas to the employment area. The entire area functions as a single community. Objectives • Ensure employment uses & design at the edge of the AEGD transition to residential and agricultural areas in a

respectful and complimentary manner. Consider how agricultural areas within the Greenbelt can continue to

function.

• Create a variety of distinct entrances to the employment area that minimize the impact of heavy traffic on the

surrounding community.

• Integrate streets, trails, and open space systems with neighbouring developments.

• Effectively integrate the employment lands with Mount Hope and the Hamilton Airport.

• Ensure services provided in the employment areas are complimentary to services available in the surrounding

community.

• Ensure businesses within the employment lands produce a minimum of emissions, noise, dust and other nuisances.


Services and Infrastructure Infrastructure provides services in a manner that protects and enhances the natural environment while increasing the attractiveness of the employment area. Objectives • Integrate innovative, low impact, sustainable storm water management techniques into all aspects of the

employment area.

• Design transportation infrastructure and streets to meet multiple objectives.

• Provide infrastructure which minimizes resource use (water, waste and energy use) in its construction, operation and

maintenance.

• Create infrastructure which minimizes disruption and damage to natural eco-systems in its construction, operation

and maintenance.

• Explore possibilities to use renewable and district energy supplies.

• Make efficient use of existing infrastructure.

• Ensure that the costs of infrastructure can be fully recovered over time.

• Provide efficient, cutting-edge telecommunications infrastructure for high-tech, creative companies.


Fiscal Responsibility The development has achieved a successful long-term result and return. The employment area’s prosperity enriches the entire Hamilton region. Objectives • Create a prosperous and prestigious employment area which enriches the entire region.


Natural Heritage Through sustainable design and appropriate development the employment district protects and enhances the natural environment. Objectives • Develop in a manner that is sensitive to the natural environment.

• Use innovative, sustainable storm and wastewater infrastructure to protect water quality.

• Protect and integrate provincially and municipally significant natural features, such as streams, wetlands, mature

trees and forests into the employment area development and meet provincial and municipal policy.

• Respect and incorporate natural topography.

• Use sustainable design to limit the emissions, water and energy consumption of buildings within the employment

area.

• Connect the employment area open space system to surrounding natural areas to allow tenants to enjoy and explore

the region’s natural heritage.


Cultural Heritage The development will preserve and celebrate important cultural sites and features. Objectives

• Consult with First Nations to determine where important cultural features are located within the employment area.

• Conduct archaeological assessments or other appropriate studies prior to commencing development.

• Protect, reflect and display significant cultural sites. • Consider using cultural and natural heritage landscape features such as the Greenbelt as a key component of the

brand for the area.


Agriculture The employment lands will develop in a manner which compliments agricultural operations and minimizes conflict between land uses. Objectives • Provide appropriate transition between employment lands and neighbouring agricultural areas.

• Consider how to maintain existing agricultural operations within the protected Greenbelt areas.

• Ensure development of the employment lands does not adversely impact neighbouring agricultural operations.

• Promote synergies between agricultural & AEGD uses.

• Support local food production.

• Comply with the Provincial Policy Statement and Growth Plan.

AEGD Draft Secondary Plan Vision and ... - Hamilton, Ontario€¦ · Hamilton Airport Employment...

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